Things aren't going well for Nissan. In fact, they haven't been going well for some time.
So, as a RideApart reader, you might be asking yourself one of two things. I'm guessing the questions in your head might look a little like these:
- ) Why should I care?
- ) Just how bad are they?
To answer the first question is simple: Because Honda is reportedly in talks to merge with Nissan, effectively saving it from itself.
While we'll likely never know the full details of conversations between the two companies that take place behind closed doors, reports from Reuters and others seem to make one thing clear: They don't like the idea that Taiwan's Foxconn could swoop down instead. If anyone's going to save Nissan, they reason, it should be a Japanese company; not someone from outside the domestic industry.
But it's clear that someone needs to do something if Nissan is to survive.
Why? Because, to answer question number two up above, the company said it experienced a 90 percent decrease in profit year-on-year. It also plans to cut around 9,000 jobs at facilities around the globe, as well as cut production by 20 percent.
I'm no business expert, as I've said before, but none of that sounds good or encouraging. In fact, it sounds like a veritable ocean full of nothing but yikes.
Now, back to the Honda plan. The auto industry is an integral part of Japan's economy, and is responsible for employing an estimated eight percent of Japan's current workforce. So, rather understandably, people in Japan don't want to see those jobs go anywhere else.
As our colleagues at InsideEVs have thoroughly been covering, China's EV industry is seemingly an unstoppable juggernaut. If Honda merging Nissan into its organization to save it can prevent the company falling into the hands of its Chinese competition, it's seen as a preferable outcome to many in Japan, both in the auto industry and the government.
So Wait, What About Motorcycles?
There are naturally some worries about the difficulties a Honda and Nissan merger would pose. Corporate cultures at the two companies are reportedly quite different, which makes sense if you consider how Honda evolved as an independent company, and Nissan was a zaibatsu (essentially, a family-controlled mega business conglomerate).
But for you and I and motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere, our thoughts of course turn to motorcycles. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but even in 2024, they're still incredibly important to Honda's international bottom line. In fact, in its most recent financial report, motorcycle sales for Team Red were so strong, it actually adjusted its fiscal projections upward (not down).
In a time that's been trying for many (see the ongoing KTM disaster we're currently watching unfold halfway around the globe), it's clear that Honda's been doing what it needs to do to keep customers happy. Not only that, it's been growing its customer base; particularly on the motorcycle side. So, it stands to reason that anything that could potentially disrupt that delicate balance could potentially be an issue.
It's not clear at this point whether a potential Nissan merger would divert resources (even temporarily) away from Honda's motorcycle division. Presumably, there's a significant amount of work to be done to set things right on the Nissan side, if the company is to survive. Unlike Honda, it's a company that hasn't really had much to do with motorcycles, historically speaking.
Except ... there's this one weird concept that debuted all the way back at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Does anyone else remember the Nissan Land Glider Concept?
Looking a bit like Nissan's take on a BMW C1, only with four motorcycle-esque wheels instead of two, it's a strange and futuristic little pod that must have looked even moreso in 2009.
I mean, the thing was meant to lean through turns, much like a motorcycle. Come ON!
Also, the controls aren't a steering wheel, and they aren't handlebars. Instead, they more closely resemble an aircraft yoke. Featuring several styling cues that also carried through to the Nissan Leaf, on a scale from never-going-to-happen to production-ready, the Land Glider definitely leaned more toward the latter.
And looking at it with fresh eyes in 2024, especially in light of these merger talks with Honda, it makes more sense than ever. It's not quite a car; it's not quite a motorcycle; it's something else entirely. An autocycle, maybe? Though hopefully things go better for it than they did for Arcimoto.
It's not a car; it's not a motorcycle; it's a secret third thing, and maybe one whose time has come. Obviously, it wouldn't work in every market, but it could be a way to potentially test the waters of what, exactly, a viable Nissan product could (or should) be.
And maybe even pave the way for some weird Nissan motorcycle-esque experiments in the future. Think about it. Historic brands change direction all the time, with the exception of only a few. If they're smart, they grow and change with the times, adapting to meet the needs of present and future customers alike. Could such an expansion be a good path forward for Nissan, under Honda's careful guidance?
Only time will tell. Would you like to see Nissan branch out from its automotive past? Why or why not? Drop a note in the comments!
